Hi Andrew (Andrew Warren), in <199708230231.VAA13831@dfw-ix15.ix.netcom.com> on
 Aug 22 you wrote:

> > > Actually, sharing the oscillator doesn't buy you any speed; you can
> > > go just as fast with separate clocks as you can with a single clock.
>
> and Marc 'Nepomuk' Heuler <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU> replied:
>
> > You need start/stop bits then, or a dedicated clock line.
>
>     No, you don't.

How do you want to keep them in sync?  The pic speeds may drift.

I think about something similar to this:

        XMIT PIC                        REC PIC

        bcf     XPORT,XBIT
        rlf     BUFFER,f
        btfsc   STATUS,C
        bsf     XPORT,XBIT              bcf     STATUS,C

        bcf     XPORT,XBIT              btfsc   RPORT,RBIT
        rlf     BUFFER,f                bsf     STATUS,C
        btfsc   STATUS,C                rlf     BUFFER,f        ; buffer init is
 0x00, so C is clear again
        bsf     XPORT,XBIT              nop

        bcf     XPORT,XBIT              btfsc   RPORT,RBIT
        rlf     BUFFER,f                bsf     STATUS,C
        btfsc   STATUS,C                rlf     BUFFER,f
        bsf     XPORT,XBIT              nop

        bcf     XPORT,XBIT              btfsc   RPORT,RBIT
        rlf     BUFFER,f                bsf     STATUS,C
        btfsc   STATUS,C                rlf     BUFFER,f
        bsf     XPORT,XBIT              nop

        ...

Sure you can save some cycles if you don't want the ports to stay all-purpose.